Evidence of quality of life improvements in patients with advanced-stage cancer has spurred a move towards early integration of palliative care into the outpatient setting. As discussed

herein, meaningful and sustained improvements in timely access to palliative care requires commitments to funding, encouraging integration and routinizing referral across care settings. More

palliative medicine training positions as well as broader education of clinicians and the public about the benefits of palliative care throughout the disease course are also needed. Access

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are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Zimmermann, C. et al.

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results: for-profit status, community engagement, and service. _JAMA Intern. Med._ 174, 500–506 (2014). Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work of C.Z. is

supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (grant number 152996) and by the Rose Chair in Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, Department of Medicine, University of

Toronto. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jean Mathews & 

Camilla Zimmermann * Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jean Mathews & Camilla Zimmermann * Division of Medical

Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Camilla Zimmermann Authors * Jean Mathews View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar * Camilla Zimmermann View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Camilla Zimmermann.

ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing interests. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RELATED LINKS CANCER FACTS & FIGS. 2020:

https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/cancer-facts-figures-2020.html OPTIMAL RESOURCES FOR CANCER CARE — 2020 STANDARDS:

https://www.facs.org/-/media/files/quality-programs/cancer/coc/optimal_resources_for_cancer_care_2020_standards.ashx RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE

THIS ARTICLE Mathews, J., Zimmermann, C. Palliative care services at cancer centres — room for improvement. _Nat Rev Clin Oncol_ 17, 339–340 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-020-0374-2

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